cannabisnews.com: Unarmed Man Slain In Police Struggle





Unarmed Man Slain In Police Struggle
Posted by FoM on March 17, 2000 at 08:41:32 PT
Online Editorial
Source: New York Post
An off-duty security guard -- insulted that an undercover officer thought he was a drug dealer -- threw a punch, triggering a struggle in which a cop's gun went off, killing the unarmed man, police said. Mayor Giuliani appealed for calm after the death of Patrick Dorismond, 27, on the West Side and urged the public "not to jump to conclusions and allow the facts to be analyzed and investigated." 
The Rev. Al Sharpton said he was cutting short a trip to Washington to meet with the Brooklyn man's family today and look into the shooting. "Any time an unarmed man is shot by police it causes concern, but it's too early to make any definitive conclusions," Sharpton said as his aides scoured the scene of the shooting for witnesses. Police Commissioner Howard Safir gave a murky account of the shooting, complicated by conflicting reports from witnesses. The incident unfolded shortly after midnight yesterday as three cops from the Gang Investigation Division were wrapping up a buy-and-bust marijuana sweep in the area north of Penn Station. Dorismond -- who has three arrests on his record between 1987 and 1996 -- was emerging from the Wakamba bar on Eighth Avenue and 37th Street with a co-worker from the 34th Street Partnership. One of the plainclothes cops, who are Hispanic, decided to approach Dorismond, who was black, and his friend Kevin Kaiser to see if he could get them to sell him drugs. The other two cops hung back as backups in case of trouble. The officer asked the two off-duty guards where he could get some marijuana. Dorismond took umbrage at the suggestion and heated words were exchanged, police said. Safir said Dorismond "attacked the undercover officer," while Kaiser claimed the cop threw the first punch. In any event, the cop, who was wearing a wire, summoned the two backup officers with a pre-arranged signal by asking out loud: "What are you going to do, rob me?" The backup undercovers ran over. One of them, Detective Anthony Vasquez, a five-year veteran with a spotty record, had his gun out -- which Safir said could be "justified" under the circumstances. In the ensuing altercation, Vasquez' gun went off. Some witnesses reported that the service weapon discharged when the cop hit Dorismond with it. Witnesses also reported hearing Dorismond say, "Get the gun." Investigators said the statement could be interpreted a number of ways -- as a sign the victim didn't realize the man with the gun was a cop or as a shout to a friend to get out a gun. Police said the backup officers identified themselves as officers, though it was unclear at what point during the struggle that occurred. Witness Catalino Solano, 25, said he had just turned the corner when he saw the fierce fight outside the bar. "I hear them say, ‘Put your hands on the wall.' Then I hear ‘boom' and a lot of police come and throw me on the ground," he said. The bullet struck Dorismond under the collarbone and tore into his aorta and lung, the medical examiner said. Immediately after the shooting, police described Dorismond as a robbery suspect -- a mistake they later attributed to the cop's call for backup. Dorismond had three arrests on his record, including a bust for robbery and assault when he was 13. In 1993, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and conditionally discharged. In 1996, he was arrested for fourth-degree weapons possession and discharged. The 34th Street Partnership said the state green-lighted Dorismond to work as a security guard after a background check. Vasquez, 29, had three incidents on his record. In 1996, he shot a Rottweiler that attacked his family. The following year, he was placed on modified duty for nine months after pulling his gun to break up a fight in Pennsylvania. In November 1997, he got into an argument with his wife, who threatened to take out an order of protection against him. She changed her mind and he was not disciplined. By Rocco Parascandola, Jamie Schram, Maria Malave & Tracy Connor: Published: March 17, 2000New York Post® CannabisNews Articles On Police Related Topics & Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/police.shtmlhttp://www.google.com/search?q=cannabisnews+police
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Comment #3 posted by mememe on March 17, 2000 at 14:28:11 PT
Guess what
The reason for all these problems with police is due the the new york police state atmosphere. These so called officers of the law are out just looking for trouble. I know first hand! All the great politicians of this wonderful country just want to put more police on the street and do nothing to cure the real problems that ail society in the U.S.
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Comment #2 posted by Frustrated on March 17, 2000 at 09:55:37 PT
so sad and stupid
i have to agree with kaptinemo---looks like a racial issue here rather than a "drug" issue. I guess looking at this incident that entrapment is now a commonplace police technique to be utilized without any scrutiny by superiors?i am very glad i live down south sometimes---big cities like NY scare me---if for nothing else than the implications it presents to the rest of us. no wonder nobody trusts police anymore.
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on March 17, 2000 at 09:07:48 PT:
Profiling, again
'One of the plainclothes cops, who are Hispanic, decided to approach Dorismond, who was black, and his friend Kevin Kaiser to see if he could get them to sell him drugs.'Note the reverse of the usual procedure. Normally, the police try to entrap you by offering to sell. But they came up to this Black man and offered to *buy* from him. The implications of this are so obvious even Forrest Gump would tumble to it in a second. I would not want to be on the NYPD force right now; after the Louima verdict, there's a lot of very angry people up there. The pin is half-out of the grenade; jostle it too much, and... well, I wouldn't plan on any trips to the Big Apple any time soon.And the tragedy is, aside from the odious and detestable politics of racism and power trips, a man is *dead*... over weed. Weed! Which, by itself, has killed *no one* in five thousand years of recorded history. More blood for Barry and Company's hands. And no amount of self-righteous rhetoric is going to wash it off.
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